


The Desk Behind Mine

by ImogenSmiley



Series: Reigisa [9]
Category: Free!
Genre: ADHD, Anxiety, Crushes, First Kisses, GAD, High School, M/M, Mutual Pining, Nagisa Has ADHD, Nagisa Hazuki Has ADHD, New Beginnings, Pining, Rain, Rei Ryugazaki has anxiety, Rei has anxiety, Second Year of High School, Second year, Walking to school, Writemas, first days, rainy day, school days, walking in the rain, writemas 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-08
Updated: 2019-12-08
Packaged: 2021-02-26 05:41:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,592
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21718579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ImogenSmiley/pseuds/ImogenSmiley
Summary: April had snuck up on everyone like the rising sun, everyone knew it was coming, none wanted to accept how quickly it would ascend on them. Until, finally, the morning skies brightened above them, and the clouds wept over the port town.It was the first day of their second year, and definitely the rainiest of the year so far.
Relationships: Hazuki Nagisa/Ryuugazaki Rei
Series: Reigisa [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1531475
Comments: 2
Kudos: 14





	The Desk Behind Mine

April had snuck up on everyone like the rising sun, everyone knew it was coming, none wanted to accept how quickly it would ascend on them. Until, finally, the morning skies brightened above them, and the clouds wept over the port town.

It was the first day of their second year, and definitely the rainiest of the year so far.

Nagisa was waiting at the bottom of the hill that his best friend’s house sat on, watching beneath his peach coloured umbrella as his best friend wobbled down the slippery concrete to greet him. They embraced quickly, not having seen one another as often during the break.

They wore their coats, fastened to the top, scarves in tow too. Rei had an umbrella in his lime green rucksack, but Nagisa had insisted they share. He hadn’t argued against it.

The blond nattered on about the upcoming season and how he was desperate to at least make it to regionals in the breaststroke. He bounded along slippery streets in wellington boots that reached his ankles, squeaking as he teetered around the edges of puddles. He’d splashed his best friend in a puddle before school before and learned the hard way that that was not advisable.

Rei was very, very finicky about his appearance, even a speck of dirt on his uniform would have him so frustrated he could cry. One time, Nagisa remembered making a frantic phone call to Rei’s younger sister, Aoi, begging her to bring a new shirt to the club room because Nagisa had tripped on the curb and spilt milkshake all over him. Rei had had a very public panic attack and Aoi was happy to help, mostly because she didn’t care much about being late to school.

The boys walked in step with each other, matching each other’s pace if not stride, exchanging small smiles as Rei ducked under the cover of Nagisa’s umbrella.

“Nagisa-kun would you like me to take the umbrella?”

“It’s okay, Rei-chan, I’ve got it!” Nagisa had insisted, beaming up at his best friend.

Both boys had caught sight of the familiar floods of people flocking toward the train station to go to school. Nobody ever got on the last train to school, especially not on the first day, there would be copious amounts of lost first-year students on it, and after a while students learned that the train service, especially when the weather was a nightmare, was not going to be on time.

Rei smiled at Nagisa as they reac hed the train station, several of their fellow students were flocking toward the ticket machines, buying their weekly passes. But they’d gone late last night so they had theirs already. Plenty of time before the start of school. Ideal, since they were yet to check the class rosters.

Nagisa was trembling in anticipation, lingering beneath the overhang at the station, fidgeting with his pink and white cube, fixating on the switch. His eyes were on the flickering light above his and Rei’s head. He hadn’t even noticed that his best friend had nipped into the station café and purchased two peppermint teas in order to ease their nerves.

Rei held both drinks, until Nagisa was back in the room, his violet gaze on anything else. He knew how worried Nagisa was about people paying him too much heed when he needed to calm down, or focus. Sensory overload was probably getting to him more than the blond cared to admit.

Rei could relate, he too was apprehensive, his legs trembling and fingers running up and down the surface of the to-go cups he had hold of.

It was only when the train arrived that Nagisa’s attention was pulled back from the panic racing through him. He smiled up at Rei and took hold of his own tea. The pair stepped up onto the train and were seated easily. They exchanged a smile.

“Nagisa-kun, are you okay?”

“I’m just a bit worried, Rei-chan. I didn’t do so well in the end of year exams, what if I end up in class 2-B, instead of your class.”

“What makes you think I won’t be in class 2-B?” Rei asked, offering his best friend a smile.

Nagisa laughed, turning his nose up slightly at him, “Seriously Rei-chan? You got the highest score in our grade! You’ll be the first person who got put in 2-A!”

Rei’s smile fell. He swallowed the lump in his throat, Nagisa was right, and he knew it. He’d hoped that he would have forgotten about that particular achievement, just as the majority of the Ryugazaki family had. It wasn’t enough to be top of the year once, consistency was key.

He sighed quietly and drew his tea to his lips. He had a long-drawn sip of his drink.

“Rei-chan? Are you okay?” Nagisa said, tilting his head to the side, his blond curls swishing beside him.

Rei nodded, having finished his drink, “It’s so good to be going back, don’t you think, Nagisa-kun. It’ll be great to have the routine back. I’ve missed seeing everybody, Haruka-senpai, Makoto-senpai, Gou-san.”

Nagisa nodded, “I’m so excited for our lunch hour! We should head to the roof and hang out!”

Rei laughed, “I think the weather might be a bit too miserable for that, huh, Nagisa-kun.”

“Says you! You swam in a thunderstorm last summer!”

“That was not my finest moment, Nagisa-kun, please don’t bring it up again.”

The blonde laughed at his best friend, their giggles bounced off one another until the train pulled up to their station and the boys exited. A gust of wind was quick to knock Nagisa off-balance, while he was attempting to put up his umbrella, and so, Rei quickly took hold of his hands.

The boys blushed, but Rei didn’t let go.

“Are you okay?”

“Yes!” Nagisa enthused, his magenta eyes glistening, he tugged Rei along the platform, their fingers still laced together, they didn’t even let go when going through the ticket barriers, ridiculous as they looked, they were blissfully uncaring. This was them and they could do as they pleased.

They walked in step with one another all the way to school, their fingers hesitantly curling around the other’s hand. They exchanged bashful grins. Nagisa began to swing their arms and Rei decided that it would be better if he took the umbrella. They talked nonsense, discussing the things they hoped to experience now they were older. They weren’t the babies of the school anymore; they were respectable senpai that could have as much fun as they pleased.

Nagisa was insisting that to celebrate their first day in years of being senpai that they ought to go and celebrate, Rei agreed, happy to spend some of his allowance on unwinding, especially if thoughts of after-school hangouts would keep Nagisa from getting too upset, should they not end up in the same class.

He hadn’t mentioned it in a while, and Rei hoped that that meant he was going to be okay. He hadn’t done poorly in the exams, but his class would be in the hands of averages. He had refused to do the calculations at the end of the previous term, but now that they were approaching the gates Rei couldn’t help but wish that he had done.

They headed straight to the notice board, Nagisa’s grip on Rei’s hand tightening. The blond stood on the tips of his toes but he couldn’t seem to see anything. Rei, being taller, spotted his name on the class 2-A roster, his eyes flickered above his own in search of the familiar kanji of his best friend’s name. A smile crossed his lips, spotting it, finally.

“Come on, Nagisa-kun, let’s go to class!” Rei had declared, leading the way down the hall with more enthusiasm than his former and future classmates alike were likely to see. Nagisa laughed, letting Rei take the lead. He stopped outside class 2-A, where yet again, a list of student’s names was on the door. Nagisa beamed, spotting his own and leaned closer to his best friend, backing him into the door, which gave way and had both boys stumbling into the classroom.

They were early. None of their classmates had arrived yet.

Nagisa lead the way to a set of desks, insisting that Rei sit in front of him. They took the back two seats of the third row. It was when they attempted to sit down that their eyes flickered to their hands, still entwined despite everything.

“I’m so glad I made it into your class Rei-chan, I’d hate to have to wait for you in the halls all the time,” Nagisa said, his cheeks dusted with blush.

Rei nodded, “It would have been very inconvenient to be in different classes, waiting for each other.”

Nagisa nodded.

“I’m also glad that you convinced me to join the swim team. Carrying it on to this year was a great decision to make. We will get to spend a lot more time together, instead of having to worry about clashing training schedules,” Rei said pushing up his glasses. He smiled at his friend, who had sat on what would be his desk, with his feet, in his new school shoes, placed uncaringly on Rei’s seat.

The blond nodded, leaning close to his best friend, kissing him chastely on the lips, pulling away just as other students began to flock in, waving at them, greeting their classmates and choosing their seats.

Rei and Nagisa settled down, cheeks ablaze, and allowed the day to begin.


End file.
